Harry Potter and the Final Defeat
by Fallen-Angel189
Summary: Set after the sixth book. HG and RH. HBP spoilers
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

Chapter 1

It was done. Finally, Dumbledore was dead. Severus sneered into the darkness. How proud his Master would be! But still, that small feeling of regret tugged at his heart. As much as he hated Dumbledore, the old wizard had been very kind to Severus over the years. He pushed the feeling aside, as he entered the main chamber. The air was freezing inside. Severus felt his skin prickle and become clammy, but the presence of the two dementors did not bring bad memories upon him- his Master had made sure they wouldn't. The dark grey rock around them kept the cave colder then a refrigerator. The room was roughly the shape of a circle, about forty feet in diameter. The rock sloped upwards, forming a high ceiling with a point in the middle. Two doors led from the room. The door Severus had just used led to another chamber, then on to the hidden entrance of their caves, which was guarded by several protective shields and a few dementors. It could only be entered by one with the dark mark imprinted on their arm. The second door of the main chamber led deeper into the mountains, which contained a maze of underground tunnels and chambers.

The main cave was where his Master spent most of his time. In one side of the cave, was his seat, or as Severus called it quietly to himself, his Master's throne, as that is what it looked like. It was elevated on a slab of rock, enabling his Master to view the whole room and both entrances from where he was sitting. The snake Nagini spent most of her time next to the throne. The rest of the room was taken up by various objects of interest and use to his Master. These included various tables with maps and dark objects containing curses and all sorts of enchantments.

Severus approached the throne, sinking to a bow before his Master. When he looked up, he met the slit-like eyes of the most feared wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. His red eyes flickered, as his gaze lay on Severus. He held out a pale, skeleton hand and motioned for Severus to stand up.

"It is done, My Lord," Severus said quietly. "Dumbledore is dead."

"But not by Draco," Lord Voldemort stated. His voice was cold and quite calm. "Did I not state specifically that the deed was to be done by Draco?"

Severus could not hold his Master's gaze as he replied. "You did My Lord. Draco could not."

"Could not - or would not?" came the reply. "Do not lie to me Severus, I know all. I knew before you entered this room that you had not obeyed my orders. I know what happened at Hogwarts."

"Forgive me, My Lord," Severus pleaded, a not of urgency in his voice. "Forgive me. I killed Dumbledore because Draco could not. Dumbledore is dead, we have succeeded. I do not think it matters who killed him, as long as he is dead."

A high, cruel laugh came from his Master. "It does matter that Draco did not kill him." Lord Voldemort's voice was becoming louder and angrier. It sent a chill through Severus' body. Voldemort drew his wand from his robes, and stood. He towered over Severus, the light from a candle behind him illuminating the outline of his figure and throwing a long shadow over Severus, making him pull his robes closer around himself to trap out the cold.

"If you had not provided many years of service as a spy at Hogwarts, I would kill you right now," he told Severus, who was shivering slightly, from a mixture of cold and fear. "But you have been loyal to me and I cannot forget that. I warn you though, do not disobey me again. Perhaps this will serve as a reminder." He pointed the wand at Severus and in a cruel, cold voice, shouted _"crucio!"_ . Severus fell to the ground, writhing in pain, although no sound escaped him. It felt like his insides were bursting. Red hot pain had filled every inch of his body, it was inescapable and unbearable. Finally he could bear it no longer. He opened his mouth and gave a low groan.

Voldemort held him under the curse for at least ten seconds before releasing him. He pulled the wand up, watching the heap of robes on the floor with a look of victory etched on his pale face.

"Get up, Severus," he snarled.

Severus pulled himself to his feet. His body ached all over. When he moved, pain shot through his feet and fingertips. Footsteps sounded behind him but he knew better then to turn and see who they belonged to. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco sink into a bow next to him.

There was silence for a moment, as Lord Voldemort regarded the two figures before him. He knew they were frightened, and this only increased the feeling of power. It gave him great satisfaction to know he was able to control almost anyone he wanted to. Now with Dumbledore out of the way, the Potter boy was not nearly as guarded as he was previously. This was a great advantage, Lord Voldemort thought. The Potter boy could be very useful.

"Draco," he said loudly to the two figures before him. "We will still proceed with our plan. This mistake you have made is but a minor setback."

Draco gave a slight nod of his head. He knew his Master could sense the fear radiating from him, and also the tiny amount of regret, which he tried to deny existed. They would go ahead, he told himself, thinking of the power he would receive through this plan. Lord Voldemort's eyes were on the boy. He knew what Draco was thinking, and it filled him with glee.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

Sailor Serenity5: Thanks for your review. Your idea is good. Perhaps I will start another story using it, I was also quite sad when I found out that Dumbledore died.

Chapter 2

Harry Potter groaned, and rolled over, trying to ignore the tapping at his window. When it didn't stop, he rolled out of bed, grumbling. After rescuing his glasses from where they were dangling rather dangerously near the edge of the bedside table, he opened the window to let in the owls flying around outside. He heard Uncle Vernon make a small noise and froze. After realising his uncle was still asleep, he let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

The clock next to his bed said 12.01am. Harry was now officially seventeen and able to use magic outside of school. The thought of it filled him with a sense of security, but also a bit of fear when he realised the protection spells on the house were no longer in effect.

He turned to the first owl, which was his own. Hedwig hooted softly as he unburdened her of her package and letter. Harry froze, hearing his uncle make another noise in his sleep. Remembering that he could now use magic, Harry opened his trunk with a small click and pulled out his wand. Muttering a few spells under his breath, he locked the door and placed a silencing charm around his room.

The owls were becoming impatient waiting for him, a large brown barn owl clicking its beak loudly to show its irritation. Pigwidgeon took flight, zooming around the room and hitting things loudly. As Harry watched he flew headfirst into the wardrobe, hooting loudly and continuing his flight around the room. Harry grabbed him out of the air before he damaged the mail he was carrying. After rescuing his package, he gave Pig a drink and a few owl treats, then crossed the room to the window, where he threw the bird out.

He unburdened the other owls, which were about ready to take flight again, packages and all. In turn, they each gave a hoot and flew out the window, spreading their wings and gliding through the night air. Harry looked at the small pile of packages and letters in front of him. He pulled the nearest one towards him, smiling slightly at the sight of Hermione's familiar handwriting. He opened the letter first.

_Harry,_

_Happy birthday!_

_I hope this gift will be of use to you, whatever you decide to do. Although I know your mind is set on not returning to Hogwarts if it stays open, I think it might be best. Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world and we could all use as much tutoring as we can get, especially in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I know you want to find and destroy him, but we would also have access to better resources at Hogwarts. Please consider it._

_We will hopefully see you soon. I don't know what you have decided to do about staying at your aunt and uncles house, you may have been invited to the Burrow but I can understand if you want to follow the plan you told us about at the end of last year._

_Love from Hermione _

Harry's mood had sunk a little. He knew going back to Hogwarts was probably the best thing, but he was eager to return to Godric's Hollow and spend his time tracking down each horcrux in order to destroy Voldemort. Giving a small sigh, he opened the package Hermione had sent with the letter.

He opened the wrapping paper carefully, revealing a small object within. A small piece of parchment was folded and slipped underneath it. He picked the object up, turning it over in his hands. It was a small mirror, with a gold edging. On the top of was a small blood red jewel, set in the gold. It fit easily into the palm of his hand. He held it up in front of him, seeing his own reflection in the glass. To his suprise, he felt a jolt course through his body. It ran up through his arm, into his fingertips and through to the mirror. He opened his eyes wide as the mirror became warm in his hand and dropped it onto his bed in suprise. He looked down at it warily, wondering if it was dangerous, then remembering the parchment in the parcel, he pulled it out and unfolded it.

_Harry_

the note said, in Hermione's writing,

_This mirror stores your excess energy that can only be used by the owner. By reflecting your face in the mirror, any excess energy will be drawn into the mirror for you to use when you are tired or just have no energy. To withdraw the energy, just tap the mirror with your wand and say 'raterio.' When the mirror has energy in it, heat will be produced. The more energy it contains, the warmer the mirror is._

"Wow," Harry whispered, picking up the mirror and tracing the gold edging with a finger. "Must've cost you a fortune Hermione."

He smiled and put the mirror aside, then reached for the next parcel. Rather messy handwriting on the top told him immediately that is was from Ron. The first thing he saw as he opened the paper a delicious looking iced cake from Mrs Weasley. Harry smiled. He couldn't wait until he could go visit the burrow.

Next in the parcel was a slightly heavy square package. Harry watched the snitches on the paper fly around for a minute, but opened the package after they started giving him a headache. Inside was a book on quidditch from the last person he would expect to get a gift from- Ginny.

The note simply said:

_Thanks for a great few weeks. I wish it could've lasted longer. I hope things won't be awkward between us now; I still want to be your friend, if not your girlfriend._

_Ginny_

Harry gave a sigh of relief. He had been hoping she would still want to be friends with him. It was driving him crazy, not knowing how she felt about their current relationship.

From Ron he received a huge box of assorted wizard candy, everything from Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, to chocolate frogs, to acid pops. Harry grinned, opening a chocolate frog.

"Thanks mate," he said to the darkness. Out of habit he turned over the card to see who he had. The grin slipped from his face, when he saw Dumbledore smiling back at him. To his suprise, the writing on the card had changed. It now read

_Albus Dumbledore former Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel (also deceased) and his research towards vanquishing the dark lord (He-who-must-not-be-named). Dumbledore enjoyed chamber music and tenpin bowling._

Harry's face was the picture of sadness, as he laid the card aside and opened the note Ron had sent him.

_Harry,_

_Hope the muggles aren't treating you too badly. Mum said you can come to stay with us after your birthday if you don't have any other plans. Owl me back if you can't, but otherwise we will pick you up at 5pm on the Friday after your birthday. If you already have something else planned, don't feel guilty. Hermione is here already, she arrived two days ago. She keeps asking if you will be staying here so I need something to tell her. Ginny told me about your break-up. Don't let that stop you from staying here. Mum is driving us all bloody mad with her worrying about you. She was going to send some meat pies and other pastries with Pig, but he couldn't carry it all. It took Dad almost an hour to convince her to send just the cake. Anyway, send your reply back with Hedwig and we will hopefully see you on Friday._

_Ron_

Harry yawned. Friday… that was… the day after tomorrow then. Rummaging through his trunk he found a quill and a spare piece of parchment, and sat down at his desk to compose a reply to Ron. After a minute of thinking, he began the letter, the scratching of the quill sounding very loud in the dark empty room.

_Ron,_ he wrote,

_Thanks for the gift, and tell Hermione and Ginny I said thanks too. I will write them as soon as I have a chance. I was actually thinking of returning to Godric's Hollow, probably the day after my birthday, to have a look around and visit my parent's house. I'm thinking of buying a house there, my Aunt and Uncle probably won't let me stay here anymore. If it is alright with your parents, perhaps I could come to stay in a few weeks instead. Please tell Hermione I am thinking about it. She will know what I mean. Please tell your mother not to worry, I am fine and I will stay safe. Send your reply with Hedwig, she will know where to find me._

_Harry_

After tying the letter to Hedwig's leg he looked at the rest of the presents, deciding to leave them until the morning then climbed into bed. He pulled off his glasses and put them on the bedside table, the whole time thinking about what he should do next. He sighed, and pushed the thoughts from his mind, determined to get some sleep. There was plenty of time to think about it in the morning. Half asleep, he remembered the charms he had placed on his room. Feeling around for his wand, which lay next to his glasses on his bedside table, he muttered the right counter spells and drifted off to sleep, wand still clutched in one hand.

A/N: Yeah, boring, I know. Hopefully will get better. Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. Please R/R.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

nandhp: Thanks for the review.

A/N:Well everyone, considering I have had 9 different people add me to favourite authors/author alert lists so far, I have only had 2 reviews. Just making an observation...

Chapter 3

Harry was woken the next morning by a very loud banging on the door.

"Get up boy!" his uncle roared from outside Harry's room. "You know what day it is today."

Harry groaned, rolling over. His eyes snapped open suddenly at the smell of smoke. He jumped out of bed, wand still clenched in one hand from the previous night, and began kicking his right leg in the air, trying to put out the flame that had ignited on his pyjama pants. After a brief moment of panic, he realised he still had his wand in his hand, and quickly extinguished the flame. Already he knew this day was not going to be good.

After a cold shower (Dudley had used up all the hot water), he made his way downstairs, to the smell of bacon and sausages frying in the kitchen. He sat down at the table, helping himself to a piece of toast and a few pieces of bacon. As he ate, he looked up to see his uncle staring at him from across the table. His face was a mixture of hope, fear and something else that Harry could not identify.

"So…errr… you are of age now. To… your kind anyway," his uncle finally said, almost spitting out the words 'your kind.'

"Yes," Harry replied quite calmly, taking a bite of his toast. "I guess I am."

There was silence for a minute, while Uncle Vernon uneasily looked at the wand that Harry had placed on the table in front of him.

"So I suppose this means you are leaving then?" Vernon asked hopefully.

"Yes it does," Harry replied, looking his uncle in the eye, still quite calmly.

Almost before he had finished speaking, Dudley broke in. "So does this mean I get my second bedroom back?" he whined to his father.

"Of course my diddy darling gets his second bedroom back," Aunt Petunia said loudly, trying to hug Dudley but not quite managing to get her arms all the way around him.

Harry rolled his eyes. Dudley looked quite pleased. He shot a look at Harry.

"Better hurry up and get your things out of there or I'll throw them out the window."

He was hushed immediately by both parents, who were both still eyeing the wand as if they expected it to jump up and start attacking them at any time.

"I'll be leaving right after breakfast," Harry told them. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

There was an audible sigh of relief from all three of his relatives at the statement. Harry finished his bacon, and with an evil grin, picked up his wand and levitated the plate to the sink. The Dursley's gasped in horror and cowered, Petunia and Dudley whimpering loudly. Vernon's face was turning purple at an alarming rate.

Harry stood from the table. He looked at the three Dursley's who were peeking over the table top at him from the other side, still whimpering quietly. Harry gave another evil grin. The Dursley's ducked down, Petunia's whimpering turning to wails. Walking around the table, Harry left the room, loving that he had so much control over them.

Back in Dudley's second bedroom, he waved his wand once and everything was stored in his trunk neatly, including the remaining gifts he still had not opened. He stood for a moment, looking at the empty room, the realisation that he was leaving the Dursley's forever finally hitting him. He smiled and waved his wand once more, quietly muttering an incantation under his breath. He levitated his trunk into the hallway and closed the door behind him, wondering what the Dursley's would do when they saw the picture of Harry stuck on the wall with a permanent sticking charm. He summoned a few products from Fred and George's store that were in his trunk, leaving them on the bedside table for Dudley to find.

"Nice little parting gift for them," he muttered and with another wave of his wand, everything in the house was turned upside down.

There was a roar from the kitchen. Harry levitated his trunk down the stairs, following closely behind it. After leaving it by the door he made his way into the living room, where they were all frantically turning things up the right way, only to find that they immediately flipped upside down again.

"YOU FIX THIS BOY!" Vernon roared as soon as he saw Harry.

"It will wear off in an hour or so. Then you can start turning things the right way up," Harry told him. Vernon's face was purpler then ever. "So," said Harry, "I'm leaving now."

There was silence from the Dursley's as they stared at him.

"Right," said Harry, not knowing what to say next. "Well… goodbye then."

He left the Dursley's staring after him and pulled his invisibility cloak out of his trunk. He covered himself and said another spell that made his trunk somewhat lighter. He covered himself with the cloak and picked up his trunk, managing to open the door and close it behind him very clumsily.

By the time he reached the end of the driveway he was very glad he didn't have to go far. Even though his trunk was lighter then it usually was it was still very awkward to carry. Luckily the street was empty as Harry was almost sure his ankles were flickering as the invisibility cloak blew in the wind.

Finally he arrived. He put down his trunk and pulled off the invisibility cloak, then knocked on Mrs Figg's door. She answered almost immediately, tripping over a few cats on her way to the door.

"Ahh Harry," she said loudly, before he could speak, "I was wondering if I would see you today. Come in."

Harry, feeling rather awkward, picked up his trunk and stepped inside.

"I was wondering if I could use your fireplace," he said rather awkwardly.

"Of course you can, boy," Mrs Figg answered immediately. "Oh yes, and happy birthday too."

"Thanks," Harry muttered, feeling himself turn slightly red.

After being persuaded to have a quick cup of tea, Harry found himself sitting in Mrs Figg's lounge, surrounding by cats, who paid no attention at all to him as he sipped his tea and watched them, while Mrs Figg served him some cake that looked as if it was made before he was born. He drained his teacup and stood up, thanking Mrs Figg for her hospitality.

"No problem boy," she muttered, getting out of her chair with a bit of difficulty. She lifted a rather large vase of floo powder from the mantle and offered it to Harry. He picked up his trunk and took a handful of floo powder, which he threw into the fireplace. The flames immediately turned green.

"Diagon Alley," he said loudly and clearly. "Thanks again," he added to Mrs Figg.

He stepped into the flames, shutting his eyes tight and feeling slightly sick as he spun around. As the spinning slowed he opened his eyes and stepped out of the fireplace when he saw the familiar surroundings of the Leaky Cauldron before him.

_Well_, he thought to himself, _here goes nothing._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

Chapter 4

Harry looked around his small room in the Leaky Cauldron. He couldn't wait to go back to Godric's Hollow, but for now he needed a place to stay.

The first place he went to was Gringotts. He pushed open one of the heavy doors, not even bothering to read the words of warning on the door. He made his way to the far counter of the main room, stopping in front of an aged goblin who looked down at him sternly from his high seat. Harry rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a small golden key and placing it on the desk in front of the goblin who picked it up and looked at it carefully then nodded at another goblin near him.

"Follow him," the older goblin told Harry, turning back to a roll of parchment in front of him.

On the ride to Harry's vault, he thought about what to do next. He put the key in the door of the vault, waiting as it opened. To his suprise, the piles of gold in the huge vault seemed to have grown.

"Is there more in there?" he asked the goblin, pointing at the towering piles.

"Interest," the goblin grunted.

Harry turned back to the vault. "Oh" was all he said.

He withdrew quite a bit, putting it all in a bag that he hung securely around his neck, slipped under his shirt. When they arrived back at the main room he exchanged half of it for muggle money and returned to his room at the Leaky Cauldron.

Remembering the letters and gifts he still had not finished opening, he opened his trunk and pulled out what remained. The letter containing the Hogwarts seal caught his attention. He opened it nervously, wondering it said.

_Dear Hogwarts Student_, it began,

_As you are probably aware, after the passing of former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, there has been some debate over whether or not Hogwarts should stay open. It had been decided that Hogwarts will remain open. A list of required book and equipment has been included._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

Harry folded the letter back up, not bothering to look at the equipment list. Only one more letter remained. Harry knew from the untidy scrawl that it was from Hagrid.

_Harry,_

_Happy birthday. Can't believe you're of age now. Your parents would be proud of how far you've come. Hope you decide to return to Hogwarts for your seventh year, I know you weren't planning on, but I reckon you should. At times like these you need all the training you can get._

_Hagrid_

Harry sighed. They were all on to him about it. He knew he should return, but he wanted so badly to find and destroy the remaining horcrux's. As he stared out through the small window into muggle London, a thought occurred to him. Maybe he could do _both. _He rummaged through his trunk to find a spare piece of parchment and a quill. Sitting at the small desk in the cramped room, he penned a letter to Professor McGonagall.

_Professor McGonagall,_

_I know this is an unusual request, but please keep an open mind while you consider it. I regret not being able to tell you much about what Professor Dumbledore and I had discovered, but he made me promise not to tell anyone. I have had a hard time deciding whether or not to return to Hogwarts this year as I would like to continue the work that I started with Professor Dumbledore but I am also somewhat reluctant. As I am now 'of age' in the wizarding world I was thinking of returning to Godric's Hollow and buying a house near where my parents used to live, but I have been told by many people that I should return to Hogwarts and continue my training. Perhaps we could make arrangements for me to return to Hogwarts to continue my studying, but return to Godric's Hollow some weekends to continue other work via the floo network. Once again, I know this is an unusual request but I ask that you consider it. I know that if I worked hard I could do both. If for some reason this is impossible, I will be unable to return to Hogwarts._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

He put the letter in an envelope and addressed it. After putting a few things in a backpack and locking his room, he made his way downstairs. He sent his letter with a grey barn owl from the post office, then went into the Leaky Cauldron and tapped his wand on the far wall, stepping back as the archway opened. He made his way through the bar to the door at the far end of the room and opened it, squinting in the light. Stepping out into muggle London, he closed the door behind him and wondered where to go first.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

A/N: To all my reviewers… thanks! I enjoy reading the reviews I get for my stories.

Chapter 5

Harry stepped out of the cab and paid the muggle driver who drove away, leaving Harry standing in the middle of a street in Godric's Hollow. The houses around him were very nice. They consisted of mostly white cottages, with porches on the front. Perfect green lawns sloped slightly down towards the street, which was lined in oak trees. Harry looked at the street sign above him, and then unfolded the map he had bought at a muggle shop. He folded it back up and set off down the street, making a few right turns, and then a left.

Finally he was there. His eyes clouded a bit as he looked at the little cottage. This was where his parents had lived. _Well, not exactly, _he reminded himself. The house his parents had lived in was destroyed by Voldemort. The cottage that stood in its place was built by the new owners of the land. He gave a small smile, and then turned down a nearby street. It was a very short walk to his next destination.

A long stone wall surrounded it, with two iron gates in the middle. An arch over the gate had big brass letters spelling out 'Godric's Hollow Cemetery'. Harry pushed open one of the heavy gates and made his way down the path to the middle. Looking around, he realised he had no idea where his parents were buried in the cemetery. Picking a corner, he started walking down the rows, looking at the headstones.

After a short while of searching, he looked down at his watch, suprised to see that it was already four o'clock. His stomach gave a growl, reminding him that he had eaten only a few pieces of bacon and toast that day. Then suddenly it was before him. Two headstones, side by side with his parents names engraved on them. Harry sunk to his knees before him, feeling the cold grass under him and staring at the names on the graves. Here they were. His parents. He bowed his head and finally let the tears flow. Head in hands, he knelt before his parents graves, shoulders wracked with sobs.

He stayed like that for a long time. When he finally rose, his jeans had green grass stains on the knees. He ran his hands over the top of his father's headstone, then over the angel engraved on his mothers. He still couldn't believe it. After all these years, here they were. Lily and James Potter, side by side in the cold hard earth.

"Thank you," he whispered to the graves. "Thank you for saving me."

He turned to leave, the tears still flowing freely. He didn't want to go, but he knew he would be back before long. He didn't bother to go house hunting, but instead found a pay phone and rang for a muggle cab. He rode the whole way back to the Leaky Cauldron very quietly, his face now free of tears and tear streaks. Upon arriving back in London, he paid the cab driver and returned to his room in the Leaky Cauldron, the graves still fresh in his mind.

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter is slightly (ok… a lot) shorter and I apologize for that, but the next chapter will be up soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

Chapter 6

Later that evening, Harry ate his dinner alone in the Leaky Cauldron. Ron had owled him back already. In exactly a week the Weasley's would meet him in the Leaky Cauldron to buy their Hogwarts things (for those who were returning) and then Harry would return with them to the Burrow until he either went back to Hogwarts or to his own place. Harry had written a long letter to Hermione, telling her basically what she had wanted to hear… that he was thinking of going back to Hogwarts. He hadn't mentioned the letter to McGonagall as he wanted to receive a reply first. To Ginny he had sent only a short note saying thanks for the book and that he did want to still be friends with her. He didn't really though. He wanted to be more then friends with her.

After he finished his dinner, he returned to his room. A large grey owl was waiting for him, carrying a letter with the Hogwarts seal on the back. Harry opened it quickly, his heart racing and his palms sweating.

_Mr Potter,_

_I have very carefully considered your request and I have decided to allow you to return to your house on weekends but under these conditions:_

_You must use my office for all floo travelling. You may meet me there every Friday evening at 7pm to use the fireplace. You must return by 5pm on Sunday._

_All homework you are given for the weekend must be completed. No excuses. If your grades slip, you may not continue to return home on the weekends._

_For safety reasons you may take Miss Granger and Mr Weasley with you, as I assume you would have eventually asked permission for them to accompany you anyway. They also must have all their homework completed and must not let their grades slip._

_If you wish for anyone other then Miss Granger and Mr Weasley to accompany you, you must let me know at least three days beforehand._

_You must not tell any other students apart from those accompanying you that I have allowed this._

_You may not leave your house unless you are accompanied and I know exactly where you are going._

_If you have a problem with any of these conditions, please let me know before the beginning of the new school term._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

Harry gave a sigh of relief, his heart suddenly lightened somewhat.

The next few days passed very quickly. Harry bought his school supplies and a few other items. More then once he had to refill the bag of money he carried with him. He had spent more then one day searching muggle real estate agents for houses in Godric's Hollow. Finally, two days before meeting the Weasleys in Diagon Alley, he found what he was looking for… a small 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom cottage that was located right across the road from where his parent's house had once stood. It was quite reasonable priced, and most important of all, it contained a _fireplace. _Harry gave a small laugh, remembering the look on the agents face when Harry had asked that. It was clear that he thought Harry was absolutely mental.

Fortunately it was an instant exchange and Harry was handed the key practically right away. The previous occupants had long moved out and were quite eager to sell it. During the last two days Harry had ordered furniture and appliances for his house and made an attempt at settling in. It all looked so bare, as Harry didn't have many possessions. The last thing he did was have the house connected to the floo network and surround the house with various protective spells and barriers.

Finally it was finished. He looked around the small lounge, wondering what to do next. Taking advantage of the connection to the floo networked, he flooed back to the Leaky Cauldron and returned to the room he still held there. After making sure he had everything he needed until his next trip back to his house, he ate one last dinner in the Leaky Cauldron and retired to bed.

The next morning he awoke fairly late. As he jumped out of bed, he realised he only had half an hour before the Weasley's and Hermione arrived. It seemed like forever since he had sat in his bedroom at Privet Drive writing a reply to the letter Ron had sent with his birthday gift. He showered quickly and was just finishing a breakfast of pancakes at the bar when the flames in the fireplace a few metres away turned emerald and Ron stepped out. Harry swallowed his last mouthful and pushed the plate across the counter while standing up to greet Ron.

" Hi Ron," he said, grinning widely.

"Hi Harry," Ron answered, grinning back, but with a bit of a strange look on his face. Behind him, Hermione stepped out the fireplace, closely followed by Ginny and Mrs Weasley. He was immediately caught up in a hug from Mrs Weasley, who started fussing over how skinny he looked. Harry smiled and greeted her politely, then gave Hermione a hug. He turned to Ginny and stopped, not sure whether or not to hug her. She gave him a small smile, then moved towards him to hug him. Harry looked down at Ginny in his arms, wondering yet again why he gave this up. After a moment they realised everyone was watching them and pulled apart, both of them reddening slightly. To break the silence Harry asked "so where to?"

"Gringotts," Mrs Weasley stated, turning to leave, Ron and Hermione close behind.

As he and Ginny followed, Harry tried to keep his eyes straight ahead. Every time he looked at Ginny that familiar creature in his chest started purring again and he felt his cheeks tinge pink. Had he been looking at Ginny, he would've realised she was doing the same.

In front of them, Ron and Hermione were talking quietly, their tones getting louder and louder as it became obvious that they were arguing again.

"Some things never change," Harry whispered, laughing. He heard Ginny giggle next to him.

Finally they made it to Gringotts, where Mrs Weasley withdrew a few galleons from their vault. Harry was pleased to see that it contained more gold then in previous years, _probably due to Mr Weasley's promotion,_ he thought to himself. After Hermione had also withdrawn some gold, they went to a small café for a butterbeer and to catch up. Before long (as expected) Harry found the attention on himself as Hermione asked "So Harry… have you decided what you are going to do yet?"

"Yeah, I have," Harry answered. "I've bought a house across from where my parents used to live." At the look on Hermione's face, he said quickly "Don't say anything yet until you find out the _whole _plan." At this he pulled the letter from Professor McGonagall out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione, who read it quickly, all eyes on her. When she finished it, she handed it to Ron, beaming at Harry.

"Oh Harry, I'm so glad you can do both!"

Harry smiled and the note was passed around the table.

"I don't know if it is such a good idea, Harry dear," Mrs Weasley commented, a worried look on her face, "your house won't be as secure as Hogwarts or the burrow and-"

"I will be fine Mrs Weasley," Harry said, cutting her off. "I have protective wards around the house and with your permission and Hermione's parents, both of them will be with me."

Mrs Weasley still looked worried. "Ron is an adult, I suppose he can decide for himself, but I hate to think of all three of you alone in that big house with no older people and no decent meals. Perhaps I could floo over everyday with some good meals."

"Mum! We will be fine!" Ron almost yelled. "Honestly, you'd think we were three, the way you're going on. We can take care of ourselves."

"Oh I know you can, dear," Mrs Weasley said quickly, "but it's a mother's job to worry."

"I'm sure my parents will agree," Hermione said, adding her input. "They trust my decisions."

Harry nodded silently, his face grave. They gathered their things to go to Madame Malkin's. Harry risked a glance at Ginny, who was being much more quiet then usual. She saw him looking at her and smiled quickly, before looking away. He gave a small sigh, and continued walking, looking at the shop fronts instead.

The rest of their trip to Diagon Alley was rather uneventful. As Harry had already bought his Hogwarts things, he got bored rather quickly and spent most of his time stealing glances at Ginny, who in turn stole glances of him when she though he wasn't looking. The amused look on Hermione's face was almost too much for Harry to bear. When it was time to leave Harry was glad. He was looking forward to returning to the Burrow.

They flooed back and Harry levitated his trunk to the twin's old room, just as there was a pop in the kitchen next to him and Bill appeared, grinning. His face was slightly disfigured by a few pink scars, but he was still the same old Bill. Before he could even greet Harry there was a loud squeal and Fleur rushed by like a gust of wind and practically threw herself at Bill. Harry exchanged a glance with Ginny, who was looking murderous.

"So how far away is your wedding now?" Fleur was busy stroking Bill's face, her mind a long way away. She snapped back into reality at Harry's question.

"Vell, ve have actually postponed ze vedding until around chreestmas. Zat way Bill will have time to fully recover and you can all attend in your school holidays," Fleur said rather joyfully.

Harry could not think of anything to say except "Oh."

"Ve vould love for you to attend too," Fleur said, smiling and still stroking Bill's face rather absently. Harry could've sworn he heard Ginny giggling quietly behind him.

"Err… I'd love to," Harry answered wondering if weddings in the wizarding world were much different from muggle weddings. He couldn't picture Bill in a tuxedo and Fleur in a wedding dress.

He was saved from starting up more conversation by Mrs Weasley, who was pressing a plate of food and a drink in his hands. She shooed him into the lounge to eat the sandwich she had made him. The only other person in there was Ginny, who stood up to leave as he came into the room.

"No… stay," he told her quickly, putting the plate and drink onto a table and sitting on the couch next to Ginny. She looked at him but didn't say anything.

There was an uncomfortable silence while Harry took a bite of the sandwich. He swallowed and asked "so… have you ahh… had a good holiday?"

"It hasn't been too bad," Ginny said very quietly, refusing to look him in the eye. After another silence she stood up and left.

_Why do I have to be such a git? _Harry thought to himself. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but he didn't know how. He gave a sigh, just as Ron entered the room and sat down next to him.

"Something up?" he asked Harry, eyebrows raised.

"Ginny," he muttered, looking at his shoes.

"Oh… is she still being all quiet? I thought she would've stopped that when you got here."

"Wha… what?" Harry asked, his mouth full of the sandwich he had only half eaten.

"She's been quiet all summer," Ron said, eyeing the sandwich. "She's kept to her room a lot too. She's not taking your break-up very well but she won't show it." He got up and left, seeking out a sandwich for himself. Harry continued munching, thinking about Ginny's silence. He knew he wouldn't be able to take it… he _had _to talk to her. He sighed and looked out the window, wishing he didn't have to face her.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

A/N: Thanks to all my awesome reviewers! Ok, so the drama queen side of me is finally shown. Those of you who dont like this chapter, as I'm sure some won't, feel free to let me know about it.

Chapter 7

Later that afternoon Harry found his chance. Mrs Weasley was out in the garden and Ron and Hermione were doing the dishes. Ginny was in her room, which apparently she had done a lot lately. Harry climbed the stairs slowly and knocked on her door.

"Come in," she called quietly. Harry opened the door. Ginny was on her bed on the far side of the room. She was looking out the window, not paying him the slightest amount of attention. Harry gulped as he saw how her hair shined in the afternoon sunshine. He closed the door behind him and walked towards her, sitting next to her on the bed. She looked at him in suprise.

"We need to talk," he said gently.

"I suppose you've been talking to Ron then," she said, rolling her eyes. "He keeps going on at me about spending so much time in my room. Seems to think it's going to kill me or something." She gave him a weak smile, her eyes already slightly watery.

"He's just concerned about you, Gin," Harry said quietly, hoping she wouldn't cry. But luck was against him and a tear slid down her cheek. Harry watched her, feeling rather awkward.

"I know, but I can take care of myself. I just needed a bit of time to think."

Harry nodded. "Of course you did." There was a pause and more tears slid down Ginny's cheeks. Harry desperately wanted to hold her in his arms, but he knew he couldn't.

"I don't care, Harry," she finally said, looking him straight in the eye. All she received in reply was a blank look. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Remember at the end of last year after… after it happened, when we were in the hospital wing? Tonks was there and she kept saying to Professor Lupin that she didn't care that he's a werewolf. I don't care about the risks involved in being with you. I can't stand being only friends, I want more then that. I know how much danger I will be in, but I don't care. Ron and Hermione have been your best friends for more then six years now and they have been in danger the whole time because of it. The way I see it, this isn't much different at all. I don't care."

The creature in Harry's chest was absolutely roaring. More then anything he wanted to reach out and pull her to him and wipe the tears from her eyes, soothe the ache in her heart. But he couldn't.

"I couldn't stand it if something happened to you, Gin," he told her, a sob catching in his own throat. "I would never be able to forgive myself. I think I would die from the pain."

"Then at least we would be together," Ginny said, staring at him. Tears were once again flowing down her face. "I don't care about the danger, I just want to be with you. I want to be by your side every step of the way until you conquer You-Know-Who and I will continue to stand by you after that. I can't stand to not be with you."

He couldn't bear it any longer. He pulled her into his arms and let her sob. His own tears made a damp patch in her hair. She had won. She knew the dangers of being with him and she was willing to take the risks that came with being his girlfriend. The creature in his chest was still roaring as they sobbed quietly in each other's embrace. Harry didn't know how long they sat like that, but by the time Ginny's sobs died down the sun was sinking. In the fading light he wiped the remaining tears from her face and kissed her, feeling the touch of the soft lips he had missed so badly.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Ron's voice floated through the wood. "Harry? Ginny? Mum says to come down for dinner."

"We'll be there in a minute," Ginny replied, standing up.

They washed their faces, ridding them of the tears streaks and made their way downstairs in silence. For the first time since before Dumbledore's death, Harry felt as close to happy as he could. He knew they would endure a great deal of teasing over the remainder of the holidays, but that was something he could deal with.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

A/N: Wow, my jaw hit the ground when I saw how many reviews I have receieved and how many people have added me to their favourite authors/author alerts lists. I've been writing every spare minute I have lately, but you may be forced to choose between short chapters but frequent updates or long chapters and err… not so frequent updates, as school started again today so my time has been slightly lessened.

steele-2006-294: I would love to read what you have written so far. I think my email addy is on my profile (I will go check now to make sure).

teddy673: the apparation test will be slotted in there somewhere over the next few chapters hopefully.

chapaneseboi21: yes, the horcruxes/horcrux's thing had me clueless for quite some time. I finally decided to just take a chance and put it as horcrux's. Thanks for pointing it out. (Spelling has never been my strength!)

To all my other lovely reviewers and readers: Thank you! You've made my day.

Chapter 8

Harry groaned as Mrs Weasley shook him awake.

"Time to get up, dear," she told him. "We can't afford for you to miss the train."

She left the room to wake Ron, leaving Harry rubbing his eyes sleepily. He was just about to slip back to sleep when a soft kiss woke him. He opened his eyes to see a rather blurry looking Ginny above him. He smiled and reached for his glasses, Ginny suddenly becoming clearer as he put them on.

"Morning sleepyhead," she said loudly, already on her way out of the room. Harry smiled again.

The house was just as chaotic as it was every year on the morning they returned to Hogwarts. Before he knew it they were loading their trunks into the car the Ministry had sent for Harry's protection. As they waved goodbye to Fleur and Bill, Mrs Weasley, who was checking her watch every two minutes almost pushed them into the car frantically. Harry found himself squashed in the backseat of one car between Ron and Ginny. Hermione was in the front seat in deep conversation with the driver. Mrs Weasley was on her other side.

The drive to the train station was quite uneventful. When they arrived Harry and Ron were halfway through a game of exploding snap. As the car pulled up there was a huge bang and a small cloud of smoke. Ginny opened the door on her side of the car, coughing as she got out. When the smoke cleared, Harry laughed seeing the look on Ron's face. Ron scowled even more (if it was possible) when he touched his eyebrows with his hands. They were black.

"Why's it always my eyebrows?" he muttered angrily. Harry laughed and slid out of the car, looking around for Ginny. He found her helping to unload the trunks, along with the driver and Hermione. Mrs Weasley was fussing over Ron's eyebrows and trying to turn them back the right colour.

When the trunks were unloaded, they boarded the train to look for a compartment to put their trunks in. Ron and Hermione (as Head Boy and Head Girl) had to join the prefects in the prefect's apartment, so Harry and Ginny sought out their usual carriage with Neville and Luna in it. They greeted them quickly and rushed back out to say goodbye to Mrs Weasley, meeting Ron and Hermione on the way.

They each hugged Mrs Weasley in turn, who was looking quite worried.

"Don't do anything dangerous this year," she told them sternly. "No sneaking off to save the world without telling Professor McGonagall first so we can send the aurors instead."

Ron laughed. "And let us pass up the chance to risk our own necks? I don't think so, Mum."

Mrs Weasley did not return his sarcasm with a smile; instead she seemed to look quite mad at the suggestion. "Ronald Weasley!" she said very loudly, receiving stares from the people nearby. "You'll do no such thing!"

"I didn't mean it," he muttered. The train gave a whistle behind them and Mrs Weasley hugged them all again quickly.

"Go on," she said urgently, "and don't get yourselves into trouble this year."

"At least Snape won't be there anymore," Harry said to Ginny as they made their way back to their apartment, almost tripping over a group of third year girls giggling in the hallway as Harry passed. He rolled his eyes and looked at Ginny, surprised to see an amused look on her face. He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. He slid open the carriage door and plonked himself down on a seat opposite Neville and Luna, Ginny sitting next to him. He looked out the window at the countryside rolling by as Ginny made conversation with the others. A question from Neville jolted him out of his reverie.

"So Harry, how were your holidays?"

Harry thought a moment before answering. "Not too bad. Got a place of my own."

"Wow," Neville replied. "Where?"

"Godric's Hollow. Right across from where my parent's used to live," he said quietly. He leaned forward so the rest could hear him properly. "Listen… I would appreciate it if you don't tell anyone else. It's not exactly the kind of information I want commonly known, considering the circumstances." The other three nodded in agreement.

At that moment the carriage door slid open, making all occupants look up. Ron and Hermione were in the doorway.

"We got out of doing patrol duty," Hermione explained.

"We saw those two idiots Goyle and Crabbe on our way here," Ron added. "They look pretty lost without Malfoy here."

Harry smirked. "I'm surprised they weren't expelled after what they did last year."

Hermione looked unsure and shot a glance at Ron. "Well… actually Harry, I heard they couldn't prove them guilty so they couldn't expel them. It doesn't matter that we know what they did, there's no evidence to prove they were helping Malfoy besides our word."

"Veritaserum?" Harry asked hopefully.

Hermione shook her head. "They can't use veritaserum on students. Not the teachers anyway. Of course there will be an enquiry by the Ministry for Magic, but until then they can't be expelled."

"But Umbridge-"

"Wasn't actually allowed to put veritaserum in your tea," Hermione cut in. "She is Umbridge though, what else did you expect?"

Harry sat back in his seat, defeated. "We're still going to have to be very careful this year then. Anything Crabbe or Goyle find out could be passed to Malfoy and then to Voldemort."

"We're always careful, Harry," came Hermione's reply.

Their conversation was interrupted by the lunch cart. As the others were buying their food, Harry turned to Ginny.

"Gin… you have to be even more careful this year then usual. Try not to go anywhere by yourself." Ginny nodded, knowing the danger she was in. Harry bought some lunch and there was silence in the carriage as they ate.

A/N: Yes, as you can probably tell, the Head Boy and Girl thing was a last minute addition (knew I forgot something before!). Next chapter will be up soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

A/N: Ok well I seemed to have had more requests for longer chapters and less updating so that's how things will happen. Those of you who pointed out the mistakes in the last chapter, thank you. It was done in a rush and I didn't reread it. (Then again I never do.)

Chapter 9

Finally the train slowed and Harry got his first glimpse of Hogwarts since he had left. Finally he was home. Hagrid was there to greet them, with his usual calls of "Firs' years this way! Firs' years this way please!" Dumbledore's death had taken its toll on him and Harry was surprised to see how old he looked. His strong shoulders were slumped as though he carried a heavy burden and his hair and beard were streaked with grey. He smiled and waved when he saw Harry and Ginny, his eyes lighting up for a moment.

They found a carriage with Ron and Hermione quite quickly. Harry stared up at the castle as they approached. Just as they pulled up out the front the heavens opened and it began to rain. As soon as they had been scanned by Filch they ran inside and made their way through the crowd to the Gryffindor table. When they were seated, Professor McGonagall stood up and silence fell over the room. The doors to the Great Hall opened again and Hagrid led in the soaking first years. When they reached the front of the room he left them to sit at the staff table, his eyes sweeping the room automatically as he sat down. The room was utterly still, all eyes on Professor McGonagall.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," she said quietly, but her voice echoed throughout the room. She left the staff table to begin the sorting, the hat and a stool in one hand and a roll of parchment in the other.

"That was it?" Harry whispered to Ginny who shrugged. He turned and looked at the first years, remembering his own first day at Hogwarts. They looked as scared as he had felt. There were less of them this year. Quite a few less. Harry wasn't surprised. Especially with Dumbledore's death parents were becoming more and more hesitant at letting their children attend Hogwarts. Looking around he saw that there were quite a few empty places at the house tables too. He made a mental note to himself to check the Daily Prophet the next morning, hoping that the absences were due only to parents refusing to let their children continue attending.

When he looked back to the front table he was surprised to see that he had missed the Sorting Hat's song and more then half the sorting already (not that there were many first years to sort) and before he knew it, Professor McGonagall was carrying the Sorting Hat and it's stool away. All eyes were on her as she returned to the front of the room. She paused for a moment, surveying the room before beginning.

"Because of recent… events at the school, we have been forced to add further… security measures to the school in order to keep our students safe. We ask that you travel around the school in groups of no less then three if possible. This means that all students have at least one other person with them at all times, even when making trips to the bathroom. An earlier curfew has been also been put in place. We expect you to be in your house common room as soon as dinner has finished every night. Your Head of House has also been moved closer to your dormitories. You will find their chambers in the door leading from the Common Room. Every night after the curfew has come into effect the entranceways to the Common Rooms will be sealed. If there are any problems you will contact your head of house. I am sorry to say that all Hogsmeade trips will be cancelled, as there is simply no way to keep track of every student. All mail will be scanned and any illegal items or items that may cause harm will be confiscated and the students involved will be dealt with accordingly. And last but not least, quidditch will still be held, but matches and practises will be heavily supervised by both teachers and aurors sent from the Ministry for Magic. I know that these restrictions may cause a great deal of inconvenience, but they are necessary to keep you all safe. You may now begin the feast."

She sat down and the tables fill with food. The others dove right in, but Harry had lost his appetite. He stared at the fried chicken rather sadly, thinking about the new rules. He felt a small hand slip into his and he turned to his right to see Ginny watching him, her forehead slightly creased. He gave her a small smile to reassure her and helped himself to some roasted potatoes to show her that he was alright. But he could not push the thoughts from his mind, and the guilt that was slowly creeping into his heart whenever his eyes found an empty seat or when he saw Professor McGonagall sitting at the head of the staff table. He pushed the potatoes around his plate with his fork until the others around him had finished. They rose and headed back to the Gryffindor common room, Ron and Hermione leading the first years. When the password was set Harry lead Ginny through the portrait hole and over to the couches in front of the fire. He stared into the flames, watching them lick around the edges of a huge log. Ginny curled up next to him and he put his arms around her. They were soon joined by Ron and Hermione who were looking equally as sober.

There was no conversation as they sat looking into the flames, the common room buzzing quietly around them. Harry gave a small sigh. After just one evening here, it didn't feel like home anymore. Hogwarts wasn't Hogwarts without Dumbledore, the twins and all the others who had gone that made the castle what it was to Harry. Ginny looked up at him, hearing his sigh. She could tell what he was thinking without even asking him; it was written all over his face. As much as he would try to hide it from her, she would always know what he was thinking. She knew him too well.

Before long he stood up, more then ready to go to bed. He bent down and kissed Ginny softly, breaking apart as he heard a cough behind him, undoubtedly from Ron.

"Goodnight," he told them all softly, and made his way up to the dormitories.

The next morning he was up quite early. When he arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast there were only a few others around. He munched on a piece of toast slowly, waiting for others to arrive. Realizing that no new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had been introduced the night before he searched the staff table, but saw no new teachers. Some of the seats were still empty though.

At that moment he was joined by Ginny, who looked as if she was still half asleep. She looked at Harry blearily and sat down next to him.

"Morning Gin," he whispered to her, kissing her cheek softly.

"Morning," she muttered in reply and poured herself some pumpkin juice. They sat in silence for some time, the Great Hall filling fast around them. Above them the mail owls flew into the hall, the flapping of their wings sending gusts of chilly air over the students. A large brown owl flew straight towards Harry, knocking over a bowl of fruit as it landed. He untied the paper from its leg and his eyes widened when he saw the headline on the front page. **'Another 4 Dead: Death Toll Stands at 18'**. Harry scanned the article quickly, reading through the names of those who had encountered Voldemort or the death eaters and had not escaped. He closed the paper, feeling sick. As he stood to leave, Professor McGonagall's voice projected loudly from the front of the room and he sat down again to listen.

'As I did not have a chance last night, I would now like to introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Brooking."

Harry watched as the grey-haired petite woman waved at the students. She looked vaguely familiar but he could not remember where he had seen her before. He was interrupted by Professor McGonagall passing him his timetable as a late Hermione and Ron rushed into the hall.

"What did we miss?" Ron asked as slipped into a seat on Harry's left and helped himself to toast.

"Just the introduction of the new Defence teacher… Professor Brooking I think it was."

Ron actually remembered to swallow before replying "Who?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "The only new teacher at the staff table, Ron."

"Oh," was the only reply he received.

A/N: Yeah, I know, still short, but I'm working on that. I can do more now that I have my own laptop (yay!) and I don't have to kick everyone else off the computer so will hopefully have the next chapter up soon. Thanks for all the great reviews so far.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

Muggle187: I just turned 16 in March. I'm in my second-to-last year of school and we have just started the new term which is why updating has been so slow lately. I'm completely bogged down with work.

HugeHarryPotterFan: Wow you definitely must be a huge fan to take that much notice. I'll read through my chapters better from now on to try and avoid silly mistakes such as those.

Dreamanddiffer: Yes, the portrait will definitely be in the story later.

Webster: yes, he is too dense but I like him. I do however agree that he is a first class idiot. Just a funny first class idiot.

Cap'n Emmis Savvy: didn't even notice those mistakes. Will correct them when I do the others. Yeah, it does make her sound like an alcoholic beverage but I think it's cute. Oh, and none of the characters have said anything about interest so far, but seeing as how muggles have it, wizards might as well have it too.

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. Sorry I can't reply to each individually although I would love to. Please read A/N at end of chapter for excuses and apologizes and explanations and… well, you get the point.

Chapter 10

Harry was glad to see that they had Defence Against the Dark Arts first. It would give him a chance to find out more about the teacher and perhaps why she looked so familiar. When breakfast was finished he made his way back to Gryffindor tower with Ginny, Ron and Hermione to pick up their books. By the time they passed the third group of either whispering and pointing or giggling students, Harry was almost ready to explode. Instead of commenting, he just clenched his teeth together as they walked past and tried not to let it show that it was getting to him. He felt Ginny slip her hand into his and he was very glad of her support. He didn't know how he would be able to put up with this all year.

After he got his books, he kissed Ginny goodbye, part of him wishing he didn't have to go to class and he could just stay with her all day. Finally he drew himself away and made his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where the rest of the class was lined up outside the door. They waited almost in silence until the door was opened. Harry took a seat with his friends and they waited for the lesson to begin.

Finally the teacher appeared and the class was quiet immediately. She stood at the front of the room, her ice blue eyes sweeping the room, a stern, sober look on her face. Finally she spoke.

"Welcome to Defense the Dark Arts," she said quietly, but her voiced echoed throughout the room. "As most of you probably know, I am Professor Brooking. I will be your teacher this year. I know many of you think that this job is… cursed," she said, pausing to look around at them all again, "but I assure you that I intend to teach here for more then one year, unless something very dramatic happens to make me change my mind. Now would you all please take out your books. This lesson will be a theory lesson and tomorrow's lesson will be a practical. I believe that in order to keep my students interested in the subject the practical and theory lessons must be alternated."

Harry pulled out his books, watching the other students who all looked as unsure about the new Professor as Harry did. When they all had their books out and were settled, she called the roll, looking carefully at each student after she called their name. When she finally got to Harry, she paused for a moment before reading his name aloud.

"Harry Potter," she said softly, looking straight at him. He felt unable to look away as the blue eyes studied him. "I went to school with your parents," she said, her voice still very soft. Before Harry could speak she had continued down the roll, leaving Harry staring with a face of shock, his mouth slightly open.

The rest of the lesson was rather uneventful. Professor Brooking did not speak to Harry again… she barely even looked at him. Harry found this rather frustrating. He was itching to know how well she had known his parents. Finally the lesson was almost over. Harry couldn't wait for it to end so he could talk to Professor Brooking, but to his annoyance as soon as the class was dismissed she swept past them and out of the classroom.

The rest of the day went quite fast. Harry's thoughts were still on the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He didn't know why it was bothering him so much. He gave a small sigh, causing the conversation around him to cease as they all looked at him. He was back in the Gryffindor Common Room and classes were over for the day. Life had gone on as though nothing had happened the previous year, except for a few minor differences. Harry's heart was burdened. He had never felt like this before… like he wanted to leave Hogwarts. Not even when Hogwarts was under the rule of Umbridge had he felt this. Regret started tugging at his heart. Perhaps returning to Hogwarts this year had not been such a good idea. He turned and looked at the redhead next to him, her eyes dancing in the firelight, and he knew why he had come back to Hogwarts. He knew that Ginny was the one thing that would keep him going through the long weeks and he didn't know what he would do without her. He gave a shudder, thinking of how life would be without her when he finished at Hogwarts, and immediately felt a small hand cover his. Ginny gave him a worried look, which he returned with a lopsided half-grin. He could make it through this year.

A/N: Yeah, I know, short and cheesy and REALLY BAD. Having a HUGE problem with writer's block and lack of inspiration lately. Have been trying to write an article for the newspaper too but can't make it past the second paragraph. Need sleep. When I've had enough sleep to actually make it through my classes without falling asleep I promise I will update. Hopefully won't take as long as this chapter did and will try to make it better. Mistakes in the last few chapters haven't been corrected yet as I haven't had enough time and I've been too lazy. Will get around to it soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Most of the characters mentioned in the following story are borrowed from JK Rowling and are not of my own imagination. Any characters in this story that are not mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books are my own.

livelylaura12: You knew? Well that's good because I didn't until I wrote it today lol. And yes... I am very predictable so you were probably right.

mizlovegood: will an empty room do? lol read on...

Jeweled Rose: Gryffindor. That will be in chapter 12 hopefully

Cap'n Emmis Savvy: Umm... yes... good point.

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. Sorry for the recent lack of update… still having trouble with lack of inspiration and writer's block. Not doing too badly so far, this story has had almost 14,500 hits and around 130 individuals have added me to author alert/favourite authors lists. I have had one request to send out an email when I update. If there is anyone else who wants me to email them as well when I update, please let me know. I would love to get to know my readers a bit more as well, so if any of you have MSN or ICQ feel free to add me. My msn is and my ICQ number is 266 754 388. I love meeting new people so don't hesitate to add me. Now… on with the chapter.

Chapter 11

The next few days passed very quickly. Before Harry knew it, it was Friday and almost time for him to return to his house. He had asked Professor McGonagall a few days earlier if Ginny could accompany him on his weekend excursions out of Hogwarts. The Headmistress had not at first been pleased with the idea, but with a bit of persuasion she finally came around and agreed to let Ginny go with them.

Harry had not yet managed to talk to Professor Brooking and it was starting to get very annoying for him. She seemed to always manage to get out of talking to him, one way or another. But Harry, being a very determined person was not ready to give up. He knew she couldn't avoid him forever.

The four of them met in the Gryffindor Common Room ten minutes before they were supposed to be in Professor McGonagall's office. Their overnight bags had been sent to McGonagall's office earlier so as not to arouse suspicion. Harry had sent Kreacher ahead that morning with food and other supplies they might need. He figured it was a job the house elf could not possibly muck up. _But then again, _Harry thought to himself, _I wouldn't hold it against him to try and find a way._

They arrived precisely on time. Professor McGonagall opened the door, greeting them with a small smile. Once in her office she went over the rules again, explaining them in great detail. When she finally finished she offered the floo powder jar to Harry first.

"Be careful, Potter," was all she said to him.

He nodded. "Thank you Professor." Throwing the floo powder into the flames, he waited until they turned emerald, then called out his destination and stepped into the flames. He closed his eyes, his stomach churning at the swirling sensation. When he felt himself slowing down, he opened his eyes to see his house before him. He stepped out, brushing himself down. Some of the soot floated into the air and caused a sneezing attack. He was still sneezing when Hermione arrived in the fireplace. She immediately pulled out a clean handkerchief, which she passed to him. She was followed closely by Ron and Ginny. The four of them stood in silence for a minute until Harry gave a small smile and made his way into the kitchen, the others following him. He stopped at turned around.

"Welcome to Godric's Hollow" he stated.

"It's such a nice house," Ginny said in awe, looking around.

"Big kitchen," Hermione commented.

"A bit bare though, don't you think?" Ginny said, looking at Hermione.

Harry and Ron both rolled their eyes and looked at each other. "Girls" they said at the same time, Ron's face slightly amused.

Ignoring the nasty looks from the girls, Harry opened the fridge, only to find it empty. He stood for a minute, looking at the empty shelves. He closed the door and opened the pantry doors and immediately wished he had given Kreacher clearer instructions. The house elf had put all of the food on the floor of the pantry. The perishables were definitely starting to go off (as Harry's nose told him) and quite a few of the packets of non-perishable food were torn open, spilling their contents across the floor.

He turned around, to find Ginny stifling giggles. Barely keeping himself from laughing, he summoned Kreacher. The house elf appeared, a look of utter loathing on his face but said nothing.

"Kreacher, can you clean up this mess please. Put the perishables in the fridge and the non-perishables neatly on the shelves. Anything that needs to be replaced, pleased replace it."

Kreacher muttered something under his breath before making his way into the pantry and starting to clean up the mess, a sour look on his face.

Ginny, who wasn't watching the interaction between Harry and the house elf called out from the lounge "Harry you need to personalize this house a bit. Do you have any photos? You could put some of your parents and your friends up and…" her sentence was cut short by a small shriek as she hit a button on the television by accident and the news channel flicked on.

Harry laughed and made his way into the lounge. He turned the TV off, laughing at the surprised look on Ginny's face. "Yes, I have photos in the cupboard over there. Oh and that's the television," he said, indicating the black box next to him. "It's a muggle invention. Trust me, you'll find it very fascinating."

"I doubt that," Ginny said. She made her way over to the cupboard and pulled out a few framed photos, along with an album. She looked the framed photos over then passed one to Harry. "That one is rather nice, don't you think?"

It was a photo of his parent's wedding. Lily and James beamed at him from the middle of the photo. On one side, next to James, Sirius stood waving, a small smile on his face. Remus stood next to him. Harry scanned the rest of the other unfamiliar faces. "Yeah," he answered Ginny. "I like this…" he trailed off, looking at a blonde bridesmaid who was waving at him from next to the picture frame.

"What?" Ginny interrupted, seeing the look on his face. She pulled the photo out of his hands and looked at the bridesmaid. "Ohhh," she said softly, watching a younger Professor Brooking wave up at her.

Ron and Hermione found them a few minutes later, both of them staring at the photo in silence. They stood there for a minute, watching Harry and Ginny look at the photo.

"Honestly," Ron finally said, "anyone would think someone had put a full body-bind on you. You're sitting there like statues."

Both Harry and Ginny jumped and looked around. When they saw Ron and Hermione, Harry passed the photo to Ron and Hermione.

"Now I know why she looks familiar," Harry almost whispered. "I'm going to talk to her on Monday, even if I have to wake her at midnight."

Later that night as Harry lay in bed, he found himself wondering why Professor Brooking hadn't just told him. Ron's snoring interrupted his train of thoughts. Harry got up to get a drink. He figured he might as well seeing as how he couldn't sleep anyway. When he got down to the kitchen, he was suprised to see a certain redhead already sitting at the table, a glass of warm milk in front of her. She gave a small smile as he came in. Harry was surprised to see she looked a little more pale then usual. He slipped into the seat next to her, giving her a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her quietly.

She just shook her head but didn't say anything. Harry noticed she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Are you alright Gin?" he finally asked.

Ginny looked at him and forced a smile. "Of course I am. Just can't sleep."

He brushed the hair back from her face and tucked it behind one ear. "I know that's not just it. I'm not going to force you to tell me though. Trust is important in a relationship and I want you to trust me. I know you can't if I force you to tell me what's wrong. Just remember that I'm always here for you."

She smiled and he pulled him to her. They sat like that until the early hours of the morning. When Harry looked up at the clock and realised the time, he picked up a sleeping Ginny and laid her gently in her bed, kissing her on the forehead. He made his way back to his own bed, finally falling into a light sleep.

When he woke the next morning it was very light outside. Next to him on the bed, arms wrapped around him was the small form of Ginny, fast asleep. Harry looked over at Ron's bed but it was empty. He contended himself with just watching Ginny sleep until a loud thud from downstairs woke her. She sat up, looking around. Harry climbed out of the bed to go investigate. He ran downstairs, Ginny behind him, her hair knotted and messed up.

They found Ron on the floor, a stool on its side next to him. He was laughing hysterically. Harry looked at Hermione who was just watching him. She caught Harry's eye and just shrugged. Harry offered Ron a hand and pulled him up. Ron's fight of laughter was dying down.

"Alright there?" Harry asked. Ron nodded.

"What's so funny?" Hermione piped up.

"I… I…" Ron trailed off, his laughter coming to an abrupt halt as he looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny. His face reddened. Harry suddenly realised he was standing in his kitchen in nothing but a pair of boxers and Ginny in nothing more then a long t-shirt.

"Uhh… I'll be…. Back," Harry said, blushing and backing out of the room. He turned and ran up to his own room, hearing Ginny's footsteps on the stairs and her giggling as she opened his door.

"Did you see the look on his face?" she giggled.

"How could I miss it?" Harry answered, now laughing himself. "It did look a bit dodgy though. We both came out of the same room dressed in hardly anything."

Ginny giggled again and moved closer to Harry, wrapping her arms around him. "Guess it did," she said looking up at him. Harry bent down and kissed her deeply, feeling her warm semi-naked body pressed against him. As the kiss deepened, Harry pulled back, his breath ragged. The feelings within him, the creature in his chest, it was all overwhelming him. Ginny looked up at him, her face flushed and her breath also slightly ragged, and Harry knew she was feeling the same thing. All he wanted was to feel her body next to his, feel the taste of her lips on his, the curves of her body. He wanted to know every inch of her.

He pulled back, knowing this was not the right time or place and that they were not ready for what his body wanted.

"We should ahh… get dressed," he said, the creature in his chest calming down and the heat throughout his body subsiding.

"Yeah," she replied. She had the strangest look on her face as she left his room. Harry couldn't read her face.

He made his way into the bathroom, more then ready for a cold shower. He emerged a short while later, fully dressed and in a more serious mood. The visits home were for a specific purpose and he knew he needed to start looking for the next horcrux as soon as possible. The longer he took to find them all, the more people died. He had no idea where to look first or where to begin. After a moment of indecision he decided that finding out who R.A.B was and if they managed to destroy the horcrux would be the first step. _After all, _he thought, _there's no point in finding and destroying the others if it turns out this R.A.B person didn't manage to actually destroy the locket._

Downstairs he made himself a quick breakfast/lunch and thought about the locket and the note. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. When he finished his meal he went back upstairs to get the note but stopped, hearing strange noises from an empty room. When he realised what was happening inside the room he blushed. _About time_ he thought to himself. He passed the room and got the note, meeting Ginny on the way back. They passed the empty room in silence, nothing but glee on Ginny's face as she too realised what was happening.

"About time, don't you think?" Harry asked her as they reached the lounge. Ginny couldn't respond because of the silent laughter that was shaking her. Hermione and Ron appeared a little later, both slightly flushed with their clothing a little rumpled. They ignored the amused looks from Harry and Ginny and sat down at the table, where Harry and Ginny were studying the note.

"It's about time," Harry and Ginny said at the same time.

"Don't know what on earth you're talking about," Hermione said in a matter-of-fact voice. Ron just looked confused as both Harry and Ginny burst into hysterical laughter.

A/N: Soooo let me know what you think of it. Sorry it's taken so long, but I added a bit more juicy stuff in and made it a bit longer because of that. Will hopefully update soon but exams are coming up so might be another longish chapter with a looooong update gap.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Just the plot.

A/N: Sorry for the very long gap in updates. Lost my inspiration and it doesn't seem to want to be found. I've sent out a search team for it but it's nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 12

The weekend went faster then Harry anticipated. Most of it was spent in the spare room he had turned into his study with a massive pile of books before him. He was feeling quite discouraged by the time Sunday night rolled around. He had no idea what to do next.

He closed the book in front of him with a thump, and rubbed his forehead with his hands. He looked at the picture of Sirius that had been placed on his desk by Ginny, and wished he was there to help him. He thought about Sirius's old house and wondered if anyone had successfully managed to remove the portrait of Sirius's mother. Then it hit him.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny were watching the television in fascination, Ron kicking Ginny every so often to try and get her to hand over the remote.

"I'm tired of this," he whined as the girls watched a muggle fashion show intently.

They all looked up as Harry burst into the room, panting slightly.

"I've got it!" he yelled.

The others just looked at him.

He sighed and took a seat. "When we were cleaning out Sirius's house he showed me a tapestry on the wall of his family tree. He had been burnt off of it. But next to his name was his brother's name. His brother worked for Voldemort and he was killed by him too."

"And this is relevant…why?" Ron cut in.

"Sirius's brother's name was Regulus Black," Harry explained.

There was a silence in which Harry's friends just looked at him.

"R.A.B" Hermione finally said. "Was there a middle name?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well," said Hermione, "then we need to find out more about Regulus Black. Birth and death records, articles… anything. We can look for that in the Hogwarts library. Have you managed to find anything else that may be useful?"

"Nothing" Harry said quietly. "But I suppose this is a start."

Hermione nodded. "It may get us somewhere."

Harry lay on his bed, looking out the window at the dark night sky. His mind was working overtime. He could not help thinking that perhaps Regulus Black had taken the locket, therefore giving Voldemort a reason to kill him. He pulled out the note from the locket, trying hard not to think about the events of the night on which he had found it. He opened it and read it again, now noticing how the writer had called Voldemort the Dark Lord. He had not really noticed that before and found that quite odd. Any other person would have written something like '_He Who Must Not Be Named'_ but instead it was 'the Dark Lord'.

Harry folded the note and put it back it the drawer beside his bed, then rolled off his bed to join the others in the common room.

Back in the Mountain caves, Severus was sitting a huge round table, around which was seated the rest of the Death Eaters and his Master. At this time of day the caves were colder then usual, and Severus could feel it penetrating through the layers of thick clothing he wore.

"The plan will proceed," Voldemort said quietly, his snake-like eyes sweeping the room. "But a few changes have been made. Hogwarts is weakened without Dumbledore. This comes as a huge advantage to us. We will invade them when they least expect it. When their guards are down. I have two informants inside the grounds who tell me that the Potter boy has returned this year. He is now more vulnerable without the protection of his precious Dumbledore. We will attack the castle and retrieve the boy and any others we possibly can. We will bring them back here and the second phase of the plan will take place. I trust you all already know what that includes."

Severus knew too well what it included and it was his fault that it had not begun earlier. Dumbledore had been Draco's to kill but Snape had not had the patience to wait for him to do that. Severus could feel his Masters eyes on him and he looked down at the table quickly.

"The time is not yet right," his Master continued, "but be prepared for it is soon."

A/N: Yeah, that's it. Sorry. Next chapter is in the works and will be out soon.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. The plot sort of is.

A/N: Hey. Sorry for the lack of updates. Thanks for the reviews. Took me ages to write this chapter, but that was because I kept having to check things. Anyways, next chapter is in the works and I will finish it soon.

Chapter 13

Harry found his chance later that week after Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Brooking looked almost panicky as she realized she had no excuse to run off somewhere. The classroom emptied, all except for one student.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Professor?" Harry Potter asked her. She tried to come up with an excuse, but her mind was empty.

"Uhh… sure Potter," she finally managed.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated. She didn't reply, just looked a little embarrassed. "I think I know why."

Her eyes flickered to the door. This was definitely not the conversation she wanted to be having.

"I was looking through my photos the other day and I found one of my parents wedding day," he told her, his eyes on the floor. "It had the best man and the bridesmaids in it. I recognized one of the bridesmaids."

"Me," Professor Brooking stated. "Yes, Potter, I've been avoiding you. I didn't really want to talk you because it all comes down to the fact that I didn't know what I would say. So I will just say it. Yes, that was me in the photo. I went to Hogwarts with your parents. Your mother, Lily, was my best friend."

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Harry leaned back against the tree, the sun shining down onto him. In front of him the lake was quiet. The giant squid created ripples now and then, poking a tentacle or two through the surface. He guessed dinner would be over by now. After the conversation between him and Professor Brooking he hadn't really felt like eating. He came outside to think by himself.

Professor Brooking was one of the few living people who had known his parents well. Her and Harry's mother Lily had been best friends throughout Hogwarts. They were both in the same year and the same house. They shared a dormitory and most of their classes. When they graduated they remained close friends for awhile but drifted apart slightly. When Lily and James were killed Professor Brooking had felt guilty. They hadn't been in contact for awhile and she read it in the Daily Prophet. When she learned they had a son who survived the attack she felt guilty… she got to spend so much time with his parents and Harry got so little. She felt guilty for not keeping in contact and not being there for them. But most of all she was sad. All that time she could've spent with them and she didn't… wasted. She never got to say goodbye. When she saw Harry at Hogwarts it brought back memories of things she had long forgotten. Memories that were almost painful for her to think of.

Harry snapped out of his reverie, looking at the sinking sun. He knew he should return to the castle – the others would be looking for him – but it was the last thing he wanted to do. As he watched the last rays slip over the horizon he stood and made his way to the castle, brushing away the tears that had somehow appeared on his cheeks.

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Harry had earlier arranged for their visit that weekend to be instead to Grimmauld Place. As they stood in Professor McGonagall's office waiting to leave, Harry's stomach was in knots. He never wanted to set foot in Grimmauld Place again, but he knew he must.

Finally, they left. They stepped out of the fireplace in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, looking around. No one was there to greet them. The Order had moved back in after it was discovered that Harry rightfully owned the house, extremely grateful for the use of it. Harry gave a little sigh as he looked around the room. He wanted to turn around and leave again.

The door to their left swung open and through the doorway came Remus Lupin. He looked quite pleased to see them.

"Harry," he said loudly, beaming. "Nice to see you again. Same with the rest of you."

The work began almost immediately. Harry didn't want to waste any time. Most of the house had been cleaned out, but if Harry remembered correctly there was an attic that had not been touched. He asked Remus about it, who knew it hadn't been cleaned out, but didn't know where the entrance was. So they set out, searching the rooms until finally Harry came upon a door he didn't recognize. He opened it to find a set of stairs sloping steeply upwards. If he hadn't opened the door he would've assumed it was a cupboard.

Calling the others over, he started to make his way up the stairs, flicking a light switch to light the stairs. There was silence as the others followed him up. The first thing he noticed as he opened the door at the top of the staircase was the dust. He pulled out his wand and flicked on the light switch. He looked around at the hundreds of boxes, filling the large room. A few small round windows surrounded two walls of the room, but were so thickly covered in grime that Harry wondered if they would have been able to let any light through, had it been day.

"Well," Harry said, looking at Ron, Hermione and Ginny, "I suggest we move everything over one side of the room. We can take one box at a time each and see what's in it. When we have finished we will reseal it, label it and put it over the other side of the room."

"It's going to take forever," Ginny moaned.

Harry nodded. "Looks like we might be back here next weekend."

An hour later the three oldest had levitated most of the boxes into one corner, stacking them only as high as they dared. Even so, the boxes took up almost two-thirds of the room. They stopped and had a quick refreshment before choosing rooms and collapsing into bed, exhausted.

The next morning Harry was the first of his friends to wake. He opened the curtains of the room he had chosen (not the Master bedroom… he couldn't bear to see Sirius's things everywhere) and looked out at the day that was dawning before him. His stomach rumbled and he made his way downstairs, where the table was loaded with several different kinds of food. Harry smiled.

"Someone must have been up early to do all this," he commented to Remus. The older man looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Dumbledore sent a house elf a little while ago… not Kreacher, a different one. Said we could use her for help around here. I believe you had a little run in with her… Winky?"

Harry nodded. "I would've thought she couldn't be… well… trusted after what happened. She was quite faithful to her old Master."

"If Dumbledore thought she is trustworthy we will trust his judgement," Remus told Harry firmly. Harry nodded, and sat down, helping himself to a pile of steaming hot scrambled eggs. He was soon joined by his friends. Hermione, upon hearing of the households new house elf set off in a huff to find Winky.

"We'll be in the attic when we're finished here," Harry called after her retreating back. Ron gave a bit of a laugh, spraying pieces of scrambled egg everywhere.

Before long they were back in the attic, minus Hermione. Harry pointed his wand at the windows and muttered _'scourgify'._ Light immediately filtered in through the room, filling the room. Harry gave a small smile of satisfaction and used the same spell to get rid of the dust and cobwebs.

He looked back at Ron and Ginny. "On second thoughts, anything you think is useless can go in that corner," he told them, pointing to his left. "I imagine it will be quite full."

They got to work. The first box Harry opened was full of dresses, presumably Sirius's mother's, from the age of them. Harry held one up and looked at Ron.

"Think a museum would take them?" he asked, laughing a little. Ron smiled and Ginny made her way over, digging through the box. The dresses seemed to get worse the further they dug down, polka dots and large roses jumping out at Harry. They shoved them back in and Harry sealed the box, writing '_dresses'_ on the top. He levitated it over to the left corner, then turned to see how Ron and Ginny were getting on.

Ron, on his right, had a box of broken objects. He pulled a broken remembrall out of the box, along with a few broken dark magic detectors. He sealed it up and levitated it over to the left corner. Ginny, on Harry's left, had a box of books. Harry could see the titles of a few from where he stood. '_A guide to the Unforgivable Curses' _and _'A Thousand and One Ways to Kill a Wizard' _were on the top. Ginny looked at Harry questioningly.

"Take the ones out that may be of some use… like the one about the Unforgivable curses and put the rest in the left pile. I don't want dark books on how to kill people, but books about spells and curses may come in handy… they might hold information I need."

Ginny nodded and began to sort through the box. Harry summoned an empty box for her to put the books that she wanted to thrown away in, then levitated another box towards himself. This box contained photo albums. Many of them were pictures of Sirius's parents when they were younger. Harry sealed it and wrote _'photographs' _on the top, making a mental note to look through it properly later. He levitated it to the right pile and took another one from the pile.

They were soon joined by Hermione, who had successfully found Winky.

"Well," she said moodily, "she seems happy enough. At least she's getting paid for it." Harry silently exchanged grins with Ron, then explained to Hermione what they were doing.

An hour and a half later, Harry stopped the others and the took a break. The left pile was somewhat larger then the right pile, but they had hardly dented the pile of boxes on the other side of the room. Among the boxes they had found a few pieces of furniture – a desk, a few chairs and a table, which Harry intended on moving downstairs, and two owl cages, both quite large and in perfect condition. Harry had sent one to his house at Godric's Hollow and the other was sent to the Burrow for Pig.

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They munched on some cucumber sandwiches in silence, as they sat at the big table downstairs.

"Anyone found anything particularly interesting yet?" Harry asked, but there was silence around the table.

"Harry nodded solemnly. "Well I will levitate them down to the library, there's a few empty shelves."

The others went back to work as Harry levitated the boxes of books to the library and vanished the pile of junk. This left a fair bit more space in the attic. When he finished he arrived in the attic to find the others hard at work. He opened a few more boxes, mostly full of book and various trinkets, somewhat discouraged that so far they had found nothing of use. Nothing much on Regulus Black.

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Later that night as Harry lay awake, he thought about what to do next. Cleaning out the entire attic could take forever. He sighed, knowing that if he didn't he could miss something important. His mind wandered back to the box of photographs he had found earlier. He got up and pulled on his dressing gown, grabbing his wand and making his way up to the attic.

He found the box quite easily, shoved to the side of the pile on the right of the room. He opened it again and pulled out the first few photos. The first showed Mrs. Black and a man, presumably Sirius's father on their wedding day. Neither looked very happy.

The next photo was of Mrs. Black and two small boys. Harry gave a little grin as the oldest, a black haired boy, poked faces at him from the photo. The other stood quietly, not grinning, just looking out from the photo, a mop of dark hair falling over his eyes.

Harry was about to pull out a few more photos, when something caught his eye. It looked like the corner of a book. He pulled it out, looking grimly at the title. He opened it and flicked through it until he found what he was looking for. It wasn't unexpected. He remembered something he had seen earlier, and ran at full speed downstairs to the library, searching the newly stacked shelves wildly. There it was. He pulled the book from the shelf and put in on the floor, flicking through it as fast as he could, reading the headings from the light of his wand.

His wand dropped out of his hand as it fell into place. He turned so his back was against the shelf and drew his legs up to his body. He sat there thinking, the moonlight streaming down on him. He didn't know how long he had been there. Eventually he fell asleep, head on his arms, troubles left out of his dreams.

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A/N: R/R please. Had some trouble uploading it... won't hold the formatting...


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. Sort of.

Chapter 14

Ginny woke early. She rolled over and looked at the clock beside her bed, which read 7:04am. She groaned and got up. She checked Ron's room first, not surprised to find him in his bed snoring. Ron had never been a morning person as long as she could remember. Next she went to Hermione's room. All that was visible of her friend was her bushy hair sticking out from under the cover. Ginny grinned, and closed the door softly. Next was Harry's room. She opened the door quietly, poking her head through, to find only an empty bed.

Figuring he was already up, she made her way downstairs to find only Tonks and Remus in the kitchen. They both greeted her, smiling. Ginny saw their hands were clasped. She returned their greeting, helping herself to some toast.

"Have either of you seen Harry this morning?" she asked them, as she buttered the toast carefully.

"Not yet," Remus told her, frowning. "Why… is something wrong?"

Ginny shook her head, her mouth full. She chewed and swallowed before replying, "no, he just wasn't in his bed when I checked. I'll go find him."

She grabbed a few extra pieces of toast in case Harry was hungry, then made her way up the stairs. As she was about to open the attic door, she noticed the library door was open. At the far end she could she a large shape. She opened the door curiously, making her way over, wand at the ready. As she got closer she could see it was Harry. Asleep.

"Harry," she whispered urgently, bending over him and shaking him slightly. He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing a messy haired Ginny Weasley in front of him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He stood, nodding.

"I need to talk to you and the others together as soon as possible. Just you and Ron and Hermione."

Ginny nodded. "I'll go get them then. Should we meet back here?"

Harry shook his head. "No. In the attic."

Ginny nodded again and shoved the toast at him.

"In case you're hungry," she explained. He gave her a small smile in reply.

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The others looked at Harry, their faces as pale as his.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked him.

"For the last time, Hermione, I am sure," he told her.

There was silence.

"So…" Ginny began. "What does that mean then?"

"There are six horcuxes," Harry replied, "the cup, the locket, the ring, the snake, the diary, and something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindors. That thing might be me. That book right there proves that I'm the heir of Gryffindor and it makes sense… the sixth Horcux is me. That night when he came to my house and killed my parents… you need to commit murder in order to create a Horcrux."

"That doesn't make sense," Hermione contradicted. "If you're the sixth Horcrux, then why would he try to kill me all these years?"

Harry thought for a moment, but came up only with a blank. "I… I don't know. But if for some twisted reason I am… it can't be good. The prophecy… well it said it's a kill or be killed situation. But in order to kill Voldemort I would have to kill myself first. Maybe you're right Hermione…."

"I think I am, Harry," she told him, "but perhaps you're not too far off… who is the Ravenclaw heir?"

Harry picked up the book of pure blood wizarding families that he had found in the box of photographs. He flicked through it, until he found what he was looking for. A familiar face stared up at him from the book.

"Cho Chang," he said quietly.

---------------

Harry was sitting in the kitchen quietly, reading the Daily Prophet. Lord Voldemort had struck again. This time a family of four had been killed. He sighed and turned the page. Just as he did, Hermione came rushing down the stairs.

"Harry," she gasped, a bit short of breath, "look what I found."

Harry read the passage she pointed to in the book she was holding and grinned at her.

"Hermione, you're a legend!"

The book she was holding was one of those that Harry had put on the bookshelf the day before. It was a book on the Dark Arts… not one that would be found in the Hogwarts library. In the book was a section on Horcuxes. It told what they were, how to make them… and how to get rid of them without destroying the object in question.

"We have to find Cho and perform it on her," Harry told her urgently. "If she is a Horcrux the spell will destroy it but leave her unharmed. If she isn't a Horcrux it won't harm her."

"But how?" Hermione asked, "You can't just tell her what's going on… what if it leaked out?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I might have to," he finally said. "The only alternatives I can think of is to trick her or tell her then erase her memory and I don't want to do either of those."

"Then at least don't tell her everything," Hermione practically begged. "Be very brief and tell her not to tell anyone… I can use the same sort of charm I used with the DA on it if you want."

"I suppose," Harry said slowly. "I can owl her and try to arrange something."

Hermione nodded. "Then we'll go with that for now. What I don't get is why Voldemort would hide it in something that's right under your nose… as in a student that went to your school."

"The last place you look is always right in front of you," Harry told her with a lopsided grin.

-------------

Harry looked down at the note with satisfaction. Him and the others had written it together to get it write. Harry signed his name at the bottom. They had kept it short, asking if she could meet up with Harry sometime as they needed to talk. Harry smiled as he saw the tips of Ginny's ears go red. He could tell she was a bit peeved off at the thought of him writing to his ex-girlfriend. He slipped his hand into hers and smiled at her. She returned the smile, the redness in her ears disappearing.

Ron picked up the letter and tied it to Hedwig's leg, giving her instructions on who to take it to. Harry released the breath he'd been holding. Now they just had to hope that Cho would agree to let Harry extract the Horcrux from her… if she was one. Harry sort of hoped she would be. It would make things somewhat less difficult.

-----------

The next morning at breakfast the whole Great Hall was talking excitedly about something. Harry slid into a seat opposite Neville.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"Haven't you heard?" Neville asked, "the enquiry about Crabbe and Goyle has started. They were taken away by the Ministry last night. Professor McGonagall said they might be calling students as witnesses and using Veritaserum."

Harry nodded solemnly. "It's about time," was all he said.

------------

Cho's reply arrived that Thursday at breakfast. Harry opened it nervously, while Hedwig helped herself to his pumpkin juice.

"She wants me to send her the dates of our next Hogsmeade village and she'll try to meet me there," he told Ron, Hermione and Ginny, who were waiting impatiently for news. Hermione and Ron exchanged glances at this.

"Well," Hermione said, "it's a start."

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A/N: Yes, I know it's been awhile and I didn't intend it to be this long, but you can't possibly imagine how busy my schedule has been lately. I get only a few hours sleep every night and the other day I finally found time to listen to the new CD I got a few weeks ago. It's been chaotic. I will update again as soon as I get the chance.


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